No Quitters

I was already interested enough in President Obama’s speech to Congress last night to Tivo it.  But my interest grew when I heard he would be mentioning a teenager.

Sure enough, about three-fourths through the President’s speech, he referred to Ty’sheoma Bethea, a teenager from South Carolina.  Apparently Ty’sheoma comes from a below mediocre public school, so last week she went to the public library and typed out a letter to Congress asking for help.  She asked her principal for a stamp and mailed the letter to Congress.  With Ty’sheoma sitting in the balcony of the gallery last night, right next to Michelle Obama, President Obama quoted one part of the letter she wrote to Congress requesting aid:  “We are not quitters.”

Great story.  Very moving.  Very motivating.  I teared up.

But then I felt a bit sad.  Where was the church when Ty’sheoma needed help?  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m all for federal and state funding to support public education.  But I’m guessing there’s a church within a half mile of Ty’sheoma’s school.  I wish she had felt she could have asked for help there instead of sending a letter to strangers in Congress hundreds of miles away.

Parachurch ministries like Youth for Christ and Young Life have reminded the church not to forget public schools for decades.  The National Network of Youth Ministries and other organizations helped us focus on schools during the Challenge 2000 campaign.  And now New York is raising the banner for public schools (http://2020schools.net/).  I’m proud that my own church, Lake Avenue Church, in Pasadena is working with a handful of other churches and has adopted a local high school in Pasadena.

Ty’sheoma is not a quitter.  So let’s show that in a spirit of deep justice, the church hasn’t quit on schools either.

©2009 Fuller Youth Institute